What Is the Best Order to Read All 23 'Dune' Books? (2024)

There are so many Dune books that it can be overwhelming to know where to start.

Frank Herbert's OG Dune series has six books; after he died, his son Brian Herbert teamed up with author Kevin J. Anderson to continue the story, and their collaboration has produced 17 more books set within the Dune world. (For ease and clarity, we're excluding the short stories and comics written within the Dune franchise.)

If you want to read the books in literal chronological order within the Dune universe, i.e. the events are all in the right order, you can follow this order (bolded are Herbet's novels):

1. Legends of Dune trilogy
2. Great Schools of Dune trilogy
3. Prelude to Dune trilogy
4. The Caladan Trilogy
5. Princess of Dune
6. Dune
7. Paul of Dune
8. Dune Messiah
9. The Winds of Dune
10. Children of Dune
11. God Emperor of Dune
12. Herectics of Dune
13. Chapterhouse: Dune
14. Hunters of Dune
15. Sandworms of Dune

However, that may be confusing, as the prequels perhaps rest on knowledge you know from reading the main series. Thus, we recommend reading them in publication order, as follows. Light spoilers ahead!

The novel that began the entire Dune series tells the story of Paul Atreides as House Atreides takes control of desert planet Arrakis.

In the Dune sequel, Dune Messiah, Paul is now Muad'Dib and the emperor of the known universe. It reveals the dark side of power.

Set nine years after Dune: Messiah, Children of Dune follows Paul's twin children Leto and Ghanima Atreides as they navigate the schemes of their aunt Alia, who rules the empire on behalf of House Atreides.

Fast forward 3,500 years after Children of Dune, and Arrakis is a whole new world—no longer a desert planet, it is lush and full of life. Leto Atreides, Paul's son, is still alive; he is immortal and has been God Emperor for centuries.

The God Emperor, Leto Atreides, is dead, and it's been 1,500 years. The Empire is in ruin, and Arrakis is back to being a desert. A young girl named Sheena seems to fulfill a prophecy... can she restore the empire?

In Herbet's sixth and final Dune book, Chapterhouse: Dune, takes places right after the events of Herectices of Dune: Arrakis is no more, and the Bene Gesserit controls the Empire.

Brian Herbert and Anderson's collaboration begins with the Prelude to Dune trilogy, which tells the backstory of the great houses, beginning with House Atreides and Leto Atreides, father of Paul. (Not to be confused with his future son.)

It then picks up with the story of House Harkonnen, focusing on the villainous Baron Vladimir Harkonnen and his brother Abulurd Rabban.

The Prelude trilogy concludes with the story of House Corrino, focusing on Shaddam Corrino IV and bringing readers right up to the events of Dune (the first Dune book).

The Legends of Dune goes even further back in time (set about 10,000 years before Dune), and follows the Butlerian Jihad, when humans rebelled against sentient machines.

The story of the Butlerian Jihad continues in Dune: The Machine Crusad...

...and it wraps up in Dune: The Battle of Corrin.

After the Butlerian Jihad trilogy, Brian Herbert and Anderson returned to the original Dune series, using Frank Herbet's notes for his planned seventh Dune novel to write two more books. Hunters of Dune continues the story from where Chapturehouse: Dune left off.

And then the core Dune series is concludes in Sandworms of Dune, wrapping up all the loose ends.

After concluding the core Dune series, the authors turned their attention to filling in gaps in the story. Paul of Dune is set between the events of Dune and Dune Messiah, aiming to answer how Paul went from adored to hated.

Then, The Winds of Dune bridges the gap between Dune Messiah and Children of Dune, following Lady Jessica on Ararrakis after Paul's disappearance. (The original title for the book was Jessica of Dune.)

After filling in the gaps in the Dune series, Brian Herbert and Anderson again went back in time, and the Great Schools of Dune trilogy picks up where the Legends of Dune prequel ended, following the beginnings of key organizations in the franchise. The first follows the origins of the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood.

The prequel continues in Mentats of Dune, following the Mentat School, "a place where humans can learn the efficient techniques of thinking machines."

Great Schools of Dune wraps up with a focus on the Navigators, the Spacing Guild.

And then we're back to the key events surrounding Dune, with the Caldan Trilogy following Paul's father, Leto Atreides, Duke of Caldan.